THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SEARCHER
"Search the scriptures: for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. " (John 5:39)

VOLUME 3, NUMBER 36,  OCT. 5, 2003

THE CURRENT CRISIS – PART FOUR

             I believe that the actions of the Roman Catholic hierarchy related to the cover up of the abuse of children by priests for years is a direct result of the attitude displayed by this “privilege”.  The Roman Catholic Church believes that it is the supreme authority on earth, ecclesiastical or civil.  It does not believe in the separation of church and state, and claims that it has the final voice of authority.  Ultimately it doesn’t matter what is “according to secular law” if that does not serve the best interest of the Roman Catholic Church.

            In 1864, Pope Pius IX issued what has come to be known as The Syllabus of Errors.  Its official title is “A syllabus containing the most important errors of our time which have been condemned by our Holy Father Pius IX in allocutions, at consistories, in encyclicals and other apostolic letters.”  There are 80 so-called “errors” set forth in the Syllabus.  I want to give you just a few and I am presenting them in their positive form.  In other words, it is not necessary to add anything to them to understand their meaning.

            #42 – “In legal conflicts between Powers (Civil and  Ecclesiastical) the Ecclesiastical Law prevails.”

            #54 – “Kings and Princes (including, of course, Presidents, Prime Ministers, etc.) are not only not exempt from the jurisdiction of the Church, but are subordinate to the Church in litigated questions of jurisdiction.”

            #55 – “The Church ought to be in union with the State, and the State with the Church.”

            57 – “Philosophical principles, moral science, and civil laws may and must be made to bend to Divine and Ecclesiastical authority.”

            On pages 368 and 369 of The Catholic Encyclopedia, we read, “For the Syllabus, as appears from the official communication of Cardinal Antonelli, is a decision given by the pope speaking as universal teacher and judge to Catholics the world over.  All Catholics therefore, are bound to accept the Syllabus.”

            It is undeniable that the Roman Catholic hierarchy considers the Church to be above civil law, and ultimately, not answerable to it.  It is my firm conviction that the cases of sexual abuse of children by priests were not reported to proper civil authorities because to do so was determined by members of the Roman Catholic hierarchy to not be in the Church’s best interest.  In their teaching the interest of the Church must always take precedence.  The atmosphere of superiority allows them to believe that they are above the law, even the criminal laws designed to protect the citizens of our nations, or any other nation.

                        Greg Litmer

A QUESTION

            “What did Jesus mean when He said, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed’ in John 6:53-55?”

            This discussion to which the question refers took place the day after the feeding of the 5,000 by the Lord.  It is generally recognized as the collapse of the Galilean Ministry because of the reaction of the majority of listeners to what Jesus said.

            There are those who believe that Jesus had reference to the Lord’s Supper in these statements made on that pivotal day, but I do not believe so.  Matthew Henry, in his commentary, wrote, “What is meant by eating this flesh and drinking this blood?  It is certain that it means neither more nor less than believing in Christ.  Believing in Christ includes these four things, which eating and drinking do: (1) It implies an appetite to Christ.  This spiritual eating and drinking begins with hungering and thirsting;  (2) An application of Christ to ourselves.  Meat looked upon will not nourish us, but meat fed upon.  We must so accept Christ as to appropriate Him to ourselves;  (3) A delight in Christ and His salvation.  The doctrine of Christ crucified must be meat and drink to us;  (4) A derivation of nourishment from Him and dependence upon Him for the support and comfort of our spiritual life, and the strength, growth, and vigor of the new man.  It is to live upon Him as we do upon our meat.”

            Verse 55 is particularly interesting.  For flesh to be eaten, it must be broken.  For blood to be consumed, it must be poured out.  Thus Jesus is speaking of Himself as a sacrifice to be given.

            Let me give you one additional quotation regarding these statements of Jesus.  From The Fourfold Gospel, page 389, we read, “The thought of drinking blood was startling to the Jew, for he was forbidden to taste even the blood of animals, and the reason assigned was very pertinent – because the blood was the life of the animals (Genesis 9:4, Lev. 17:10-14).  By insisting, therefore, on the drinking of His blood, Jesus had insisted that his very life be absorbed and assimilated.  To be disciples of others teachers, it is only necessary that we accept and follow their doctrine.  But to be a disciple of Christ is to do more than this.  His divinity permits us to have a spiritual communion and fellowship with Him, an abiding in His presence, an indwelling of His Spirit, and a veritable assimilation of life from Him.  Were it otherwise, He could not be food for the spirit – the bread of life.  He had started to show to the Jews that he was to the spirit what bread was to the body.  It was difficult to bring home to their carnal minds so spiritual a thought, and therefore Jesus clothed it in carnal metaphors and made it as plain as possible.”

                                                Greg Litmer